and i thought i loved you then...

when we were first dating, i LOVED the way you smelled.
maybe your cologne? or shampoo? i don't know...

but that was NOTHING compared to how you smell now...
when you come in from mowing the grass...
or grilling dinner for us...
or after being at the pool all morning...

and i thought i loved you then...

when we were first together, i LOVED when you would hold me.
i thought those chills going up my back were the most amazing feeling i had ever felt.

but they were nothing compared to a hug at the end of one of our days lately.
your arms are a SAFE place...a HAVEN from all the demands and craziness going on around us.
i can go to a quiet place in your arms...even if chaos is going on around me...it helps me to feel in a literal way what it is for our Lord to hold us...and you hold me so well...in so many ways...

and i thought i loved you then...

when we first got married, i loved talking to you and playing games at night and laughing together. i just loved BEING with you!!!

but that was nothing compared to how we can laugh and "be alone" even in the middle of our circus of a family :-)

i love being able to just look at you and you know.
you know what i'm thinking.
and you know how to look back at me and tell me, "stop it!" or "i love you!" or "i know."

and i thought i loved you then...

we were married 11 years ago today.
i am a different person today than i was 11 years ago.
i hope, mostly, in better ways.
i'm stronger {outside and inside}, more confident {in who God made me}, can work through conflict {still don't LIKE it, but i can work through it...}
a lot of it is how God has worked in me and through me over these years...but that is only because this man has been right there...walking with me...loving me...challenging me...helping me...and holding me...

and i thought i loved you then...

another swim meet...

rebekah got to be one of the ones to swim with a flag across the pool during the national anthem this morning.

wow.
that was precious.



and she won both of her heats {freestyle and backstroke}
it was a GREAT swim meet for her!

whatever it takes to keep him busy...which means LOTS of food :-)

rebekah, bailey, sophie and brooke toenails :-)
happy summer!!!

pat's still not feeling very good.
so we're going to go to the farm and get out of his hair...
off to pack lunches.

Compassion for kids

have i posted this??
do you know about this??

it's a computer game from Compassion International for KIDS!
it's so GREAT!
rebekah and joshua LOVE it!

check it out!
Quest for Compassion

running

the last few days i have literally RUN from thing to thing in my house.
just too much to do...
hoping to get caught up and back "on top of my game" this weekend...
and
hoping next week doesn't feel this way...

she doesn't mind

today is not our typical thursday.
rebekah is gone with pat's parents on her special day with them.

and daddy's home.
had a "minor" surgery...and frozen peas and tylenol are his friend ;-)
so he has to be still.
but she doesn't mind...

i dare you to look at these and not smile

i looked up at this sweet thing while we were eating dinner on our front walk yesterday afternoon.
and couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.
not the best light, but i'm sure glad i took these :-)


she is just too much!

a cheesy "cheese!"

i wish you could hear the chuckle that went with this one...DEEP from her belly!


and then,
"wait, mom! take a picture of my ring! it has a "o" on it just like yours!"

wednesday evening...

picnic dinner on the front walk before heading out for a swim meet...

rebekah writing "go piranhas!" on herself :-)

she's the 2nd to last from the top...with the pink goggles...
have i said we LOVE swim team??